With James Franco holding up for the humans and Andy Serkis doing for the apes what he did in Lord Of The Rings as Gollum, only better, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes is a terrific, well, two ring Serkis. In truth, it's the bounds that have been made with performance capture that is the real star here. Gone are the monkey suits and posh accents, hello digital characters who perform. What's more, performances you care about.

This prequel to Tim Burton's strangely cold 2001 remake of Planet Of The Apes starts as all good stories do, in a big, shiny lab. Dr Rodman (James Franco) is working for a large corporation on a drug that could cure dementia. They test it on a chimp who promptly dies in spectacular circumstances but not before leaving behind baby Caeser. Few prizes for guessing where we go from here, most of the clue are in the title. Suffice to say the journey includes Rodman's dotty Dad (John Lithgow), Caeser's frightening intelligence, abandonment, imprisonment, revenge, a couple of hundred simians and a cute vet (Freida Pinto).

Full credit is due to Rupert Wyatt (director of 2008's daring prison drama The Escapist) for crafting a film that keeps a firm focus on character. Over half the film establishes relations and motive; rare in a movie of this kind. It's not Chekov, but Caeser is given good reason for his behaviour, likewise Rodman. Of course Rise is foremost a (northern) summer spectacle and delivers the necessaries with style. Save for a CG ridden chase across the Golden Gate bridge, there's barely a moment when human-ape interaction doesn't feel authentic, touching even. Rather like the sweaty actors in hary suits of yore, Caeser and his friends work their way into your heart.

Although a necessary breather is missing from the final showdown, one that would have restored narrative drive and balance to the inevitable extravaganza that takes over, Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes is certainly a chimp off the old block.

// COLIN FRASER
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